Using boat built in Gainesville, he's ready to row 1,400 miles

Lewis Colam is rowing to raise money for the Fischer Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation after watching his grandmother deteriorate from the disease.

By Hannah WinstonCorrespondent

Lewis Colam has never rowed a boat before. He's never run a marathon or withstood any tests of endurance. And he's deathly afraid of alligators. Colam, 24, from Plymouth, England, will set out on a 1,400-mile journey from Miami to New York on Saturday in a row boat made in Gainesville. He's rowing to raise money for the Fischer Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation after watching his grandmother deteriorate from the disease. So far he has raised about $740 of his $20,000 goal.Peter, Colam's 10-year-old brother, is “the wildlife expert.” So when he heard of his brother's adventure, he gave him 5 pounds -- about $8 -- and made sure to catch him up on all the snakes and alligators he'd encounter on his journey through the canals of Florida before he heads to the Atlantic Ocean.His vessel, a 15-foot-long, 75-pound row boat, will hold all his food, his own 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame, his audio books -- those with water themes like “Huckleberry Finn” and his favorite, “Heart Of Darkness” -- along with devices to record his journey.The boat built by Bill Larson, owner of Little River Marine in Gainesville, was built to hold everything and keep him afloat.“It seems to float very well,” Colam said. “Which my mom will be happy to hear.”In November, Colam said he heard a family story that got him thinking. One hundred years ago, his great-great uncle left England to try to make some money fishing in Fort Lauderdale. On his first day on the water, his great-great uncle wrecked his boat and had to swim five miles back to shore, nearly losing his life, Colam says. It sparked the idea: Why not row a boat up the east coast of the United States?So defying his family history on the water, he quit his job as a management consultant in London and went on planning his trip.When he came to Larson in need of a boat, Larson thought it was a great idea. His business specializes in adventure boats for long distances and, well, adventures. Larson has had rowers using his boats travel the full coast of Florida, others the whole coast of Texas and right now he has two who are training to row from Seattle to Alaska.Larson said while adventure rowboats may be a niche market, his business is the largest in the nation, if not the world, which explains how Colam found it in England.“We've sold boats on every continent except Antarctica,” Larson joked.Larson said his boats are twice as fast as a kayak and perfect for Colam's journey.The idea of rowing was “romantic” for Colam. But when he tried out his boat for the first time on Tuesday, he was worried he might look foolish. What would he do after traveling 5,000 miles, committing to 1,400 more and then not being able to do it?With one stroke of the paddles, he was gliding on the water faster than he had ever imagined and knew he was ready. “I was almost disappointed,” he said. “I'm only rowing to New York? Where's a map? How about Canada?”When asked what he hopes to gain from the experience, Colam laughed briefly and then shot back:“A six pack? Grow a large beard? A nice story for the grand kids someday.”